On Feb. 5 the legates proposed for consideration eight articles on the subject of marriage, extracted from so- called heretical books :
1. That marriage is not a sacrament instituted by God.
2. That parents may auiuil marriages contracted by their children clandestinely.
3. That a man may marry again during the life of his first wife, divorced on account of fornication.
4. That polygamy is allowed to t'hrislians, and that to forbid marriages at certain seasons is u heathen supersti- tion.
5. That marriage is to be preferred to the state of vir- ginitv.
6. That priests in the Western Church may marry, not- wiih-iandiiig their vow.
7. That the degrees of consanguinity and affinity laid down in Lev. xviii are to be observed, and no others.
S. That the cognizance of causes relating to marriages belongs to the secular princes.
These articles were discussed in several congregations. The sixth article came under consideration March 4; all agreed in condemning it as heretical, but they were divided upon the grounds of their opinion. The ques- tion was afterwards discussed whether it was advisable, inider the circimistanees of the times, to remove the re- .striction laitl upon the clergy not to marry; this was in consequence of a demand to that effect made by the ilidie of Bavaria. Strong opposition was made to this demand, and many blamed the legates for permitting the discussion, and maintained that if this license were granted the whole ecclesiastical hierarchy woidd fall to pieces, and the pope be reduced to the simple condition of bishop of Home, since the clerg\', having their affec- tions set upon their families and country, would be inevitably detached from that close depenitence upon the holy see in which its present strength mainly con- sists.
In the meantime, the cardinal of Mantua had died, and the pope ilespatchcd two new legates to the council, cardinal Monnie and cardinal Navagier. The French contiiuied their importunities on the subject of reforma- tion, and were as constantly put off upon one pretext or another by the legates, and thus much time was wasted.
In a congregation held May 10, a letter from the queen of Scots was read, in which she expressed her sorrow that she had not one Catholic prelate in her do- minions whom she coidd send to the council, and de- clared her deternnnation, should she ever attain to the crown of England, to do all in her power to bring that
kingdom, as well as Scotland, back to the Roman obe- dience.
All this time the contests about the institution and jurisdiction of bislio|)s, and the divine obligation of res- idence, continued ; and at last, in order to accommodate matters, and bring things to an end, it was resolved to uinit altogether all notice of the institution of bishops and of the authority of the po|)e, and to erase from the decree concerning residence whatever was obnoxious to either party. 'J'hey then fell to work upon the decree concerning the reformation of abuses.
Session XXJII (.July 10, lotio).— At this session 208 prelates, besides the legates and other ecclesiastics, were present, with the ambassadors of France, Spain, Portu- gal, etc. The sermon was preached by the bishop of Paris, who seems to have contrived in it to give offence to all parties. After the sermon, the bidls authorizing IMorone and Navagier to act as legates for the pope were read, together with the letters of the king of Poland, the duke of Savoy, and the ipieen of Scotland. Lastly, the decrees and canons drawn up during the past congregar tion were brouglit before the council. The decree upon the sacrament of orders, in four chapters, was read, and eight canons on the sacrament of orders were published^ which anathematized,
1. Those who deny a visible priesthood in the Chnrch.
2. Those who maintain that the priesthood is the only order.
3. Those who deny that ordination is a true sacrament.
4. Those who deny that the Holy Spirit is conferred by ordination.
5. Those who deny that the unction given at ordination is necessary.
6. Those who deny that there is a hierarchy composed ofbishops, i)riests, and ministers in the Catholic Chnrch.
7. Those who deny the superiority of bislmiis to priests, or that they alone can perform certain functions which priests cannot, and those wlio maintain that orders con- ferred without tlie consent of the peo))le are void.
S. Those who deny that bishops called by the iuithority of the pope (qt(i niirinritate Romani pvntificis asstnmintiti) are true and lawful bishops.
After this the decree of reformation was read, contain- ing eighteen chapters, on the residence ofbishops, and on other ecclesiastical affairs.
In the following congregations the decrees concern- ing marriage were discussed, and it was imanimously agreed that the law of celibacy should be continued binding upon the clergy.
Moreover, twentv articles of reformation, which the legates proposed, were examined; and during the dis- cussion letters were received from the king of France, in which he declared his disajipointment at the meagre measure of ecclesiastical reform propo.sed in these arti- cles and his extreme dissatisfaction at the chapter in- terfering with the rights of princes. Shortly after, nine of the French bishops returned home, so that fourteen only remained.
On Sej^t. 22 a congregation was held, in which the ambassador I)ii Ferrier sp<d\e .so warmly of the utter in- sufficiency of the articles of reform which the legates had proposed, and of their conduct altogether, that the congregation broke up suddenly in some confusion.